Industry News

He was the co-founder and COO of C3 Metrics, which he launched in May 2008 in Portsmouth, N.H.

Now, Jeff Greenfield, who in June 2020 became a strategic advisor to Overnight Dealer, has joined a media technology company devoted to making it easier to buy and sell advertising.

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It was a story first discussed in a front-page report penned by Meg James in the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times.

Now, the entire broadcast TV community is digesting the news that the President of CBS Television Stations and the stations’ SVP of News have been suspended while parent ViacomCBS investigates an increasing number of allegations against them for gender and racial misconduct.

ViacomCBS has suspended the two powerful heads of its TV station group, Peter Dunn and David Friend, amid widening allegations that the pair cultivated an environment that included bullying female managers and blocking efforts to hire and retain Black journalists.

In a statement late Monday, CBS said the two veteran executives were “placed on administrative leave, pending the results of a third-party investigation into issues that include those raised in a recent Los Angeles Times report. CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”

CBS took action just one day after The Times published an investigation that detailed how senior executives disparaged CBS station employees in Philadelphia, the nation’s fourth-largest media market. Dunn ran the Philadelphia station from 2002 through 2004 before several promotions. For the last 11 years, he has been in charge of CBS’ 28 television stations across the country, including KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles.

The division has 2,800 employees and provides local news for millions of viewers who live in cities where CBS owns a TV station, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Hours after The Times’ published its investigation Sunday, the National Assn. of Black Journalists met with high-level ViacomCBS executives, including CBS Entertainment Chief Executive George Cheeks and ViacomCBS Executive Vice President Marva Smalls, who oversees the company’s diversity and inclusion efforts. During that meeting, NABJ leaders said they raised other complaints and demanded that CBS fire Dunn and one of his lieutenants, Friend, the senior vice president for news.

In a statement, NABJ criticized CBS’ hiring practices at its flagship TV station, WCBS-TV Channel 2 in New York, saying the station only recently hired a full-time Black male reporter in New York after five years without one. NABJ also said that WCBS has just one full-time Black female reporter and only one Black news producer in New York. In addition to overseeing the entire CBS TV stations chain, Dunn has managed WCBS since 2005.

Cheeks, who took over operations of the legendary broadcasting company last March, sent a note to the CBS staff a little before 7:30 p.m. Pacific time to announce the move, acknowledging that “these have been a difficult few days.”

Cheeks said that CBS Chief Operating Officer Bryon Rubin would assume the leadership of the TV station group on an interim basis. “Bryon is very familiar with your business and ready to support your efforts.”

He also noted the meeting with the NABJ delegation.

“We pledged to continue a dialogue with the NABJ on our best path forward,” Cheeks wrote.

The Times report shed new light on CBS’ $55-million purchase of a small independent television station, WLNY-TV Channel 55 on New York’s Long Island in 2011 — a deal that included a membership in the ultra-exclusive Sebonack Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. The founder and previous owner of WLNY, entrepreneur Michael Pascucci, threw in a membership at his 300-acre retreat as part of the TV station sale.

CBS said the Sebonack membership belonged to the company but that it was put in Dunn’s name because the club did not have corporate memberships. The company said the membership was used to entertain clients and business partners.

Current and former CBS executives also questioned the thoroughness of CBS’ high-profile 2018 investigation into corporate culture, saying the outside law firms were aware of allegations about Dunn and Friend. The Times review of court filings, CBS’ internal communications and interviews with two dozen current and former CBS television station employees found that many were troubled by the outcome of the investigation and questioned the company’s commitment to cleaning up its culture.

“Senior management at the time addressed the situation with Mr. Dunn, and the company has not received any complaints about his conduct during the period since then,” CBS said last week.

Dunn declined to comment on the allegations.

CBS earlier defended its inclusion efforts at Philadelphia TV station KYW Channel 3, saying 45% of the station’s on-air reporters and anchors are Black, Indigenous or other people of color.

“I believe that I — and our stations — have a strong track record of hiring, supporting and placing women and BIPOC journalists in important roles as anchors, reporters and news directors,” Friend said in an earlier statement. “These comments I may have made about our employees or prospective hires were only based on performance or qualifications — not about anyone’s race or gender.”

Two former senior Philadelphia station executives — Margaret Cronan and Brien Kennedy — told The Times that Dunn made disparaging comments about the station’s popular evening anchor, Ukee Washington, who is a distant cousin to actor Denzel Washington. Among the complaints, Dunn allegedly called Washington “just a jive guy” and criticized Washington’s dancing.

After the report, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Tribune wrote about the situation. CBS’ KYW also took a stand with sports anchor Don Bell, during the 5 p.m. newscast, calling Washington “our quarterback and the crown jewel of Philly…. The good people at this station reject racism and misogyny in all its forms — no matter where or who it may come from.”

Washington has been a fixture at KYW since the mid-1980s and was elevated to the lead anchor spot when Kennedy, the former general manager, arrived at the station in 2015. Before that, Washington spent 19 years as morning anchor and a decade as sports anchor.

In addition to the comments about Washington, Dunn allegedly refused to approve a contract extension for another Black anchor, Rahel Solomon, a Philadelphia native who served as KYW morning anchor for more than two years. Kennedy, in an interview, said that in a two-plus-hour phone call, Dunn raised “bizarre objections,” such as saying, “I hate her face.”

Solomon left CBS in 2019 for CNBC.

“We are heartened by our discussion with George and Marva that there will be real, substantial and substantive changes at CBS to ensure that it is a welcoming place for Black and other journalists of color to work, rise and succeed,” Roland S. Martin, NABJ Vice President for Digital, said in a statement earlier Monday.

Rewind the clock by a decade, and Leon Black made headlines in RBR+TVBR because of the strong dislike of the billionaire by Sirius XM shareholders. At the 2010 annual shareholders’ meeting, more voted against Black than for him as he sought to remain on the Board of Directors.

Who knew then that the founder of Apollo Global Management, which today has a majority stake in Cox Media Group, would end up emerging as a despised individual who would end up stepping down due to his ties to one of the most infamous American financiers of the modern era?

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On a historical five-year trend chart, Urban One‘s stock performance looks like a hospital patient who flatlined and suddenly received a powerful EKG to revive the heart.

After years of languishing between $1.25 and $3.50 per share, UONE in mid-June 2020 rocketed to $36.30 — only to dip to $3.48 by Sept. 7 — as “Black Lives Matter” protests ignited daytraders eager to capitalize on potential new interest in Urban One’s assets.

Since late September, Urban One shares found a new normal that, while much less in value than that mid-June burst, remains significantly higher than where UONE was one year ago.

Now, UONE is poised to get a further bump in its price — thanks to a big investment by an investment fund focused on media, technology and communications companies.

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Telos Alliance, the Cleveland-based broadcast audio technology company, has scheduled an Omnia webinar for February 3 that will offer participants the best advice on how to get their best on-air sound … “with confidence!”

The session, “Get Your Best On-Air Sound…with Confidence! Insider Tips (and Secrets) to Your Omnia Audio Processor”, is scheduled for 1pm Eastern on that Wednesday.

“Whether you already own an Omnia processor or are considering purchasing one, there is a world of untapped potential you may not even know about, waiting to be unlocked,” Telos Alliance says.

The session is to be hosted by Kirk Harnack, who will chat with Omnia experts and power users to bring participants “the little-known tips and insider secrets to getting the very best sound from your processor while exposing some of our favorite features.”

Those interested in attending the webinar can sign up here.

If you can’t make this time, register anyway and Telos Alliance will send you a recording of the webinar direct to your inbox.

Over recent years, the audio market has witnessed a progressive shift to more premium products. Take, for example, headphones and models such as the Apple AirPods Pro, along with the Sony WH-1000XM series.

These, Futuresource Consulting notes, have helped democratize higher audio quality to the mass market.

This trend, which can be seen across most audio product categories, including wireless speakers and soundbars, took another turn in 2020.

Consumers homebound due to the COVID-19 pandemic have created a unique opportunity for premium audio product demand to thrive, Futuresource notes. “With movies and music consumption playing a central role in entertaining consumers during lockdown, having good audio quality at home has never been as important,” it says.

In the soundbar segment, consumers trying to replicate a cinema experience at home, with notably premium soundbars fitted with Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, has driven demand for models costing $1,000+.

In line with this, shipments have risen significantly, up 32% year-on-year in the period Q1-Q3 2020, according to Futuresource’s Home Audio report.

“People spending less on out-of-home activities such as going on holiday or eating out has freed up discretionary income to spend on high-end audio products,” Futuresource finds, noting that 2020 was a year where consumers who always wanted to invest in products such as a nice pair of speakers, a high-end amplifier or a turntable could justify this purchase, which ultimately drove average selling prices up across many audio product categories.

Record-high demand has also been seen for luxury audio products costing over $5,000 in 2020.

“The surge in vinyl consumption during lockdown has triggered a strong interest for luxury turntables, especially as wealthy individuals had more funds available to spend on ultra high-end turntables that can easily cost over $20,000,” Futuresource says.

The recently published Luxury Audio Report from Futuresource notably highlights that consumer spend on turntables costing over $5,000 was set to witness an impressive growth of 15% in 2020.

Another strong testament to this shift to premium devices is Apple venturing into high-end headphones with the AirPods Max, which retails at $549. “It demonstrates that Apple is confident that consumers are increasingly willing to pay for high-quality sound, but also for products using exquisite materials and integrating more tech features,” Futuresource says.

While 2020 provided exceptional circumstances, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a long-term impact on consumers’ lifestyles, notably with remote working set to become more common, and with commutes and business travel also expected to reduce. The post-COVID world is likely to be more home focused, creating more opportunities for consumers to listen to music and watch movies at home, which will ultimately place a stronger emphasis on the quality of home audio products.

Futuresource, consequently, anticipates this trend to drive long-term growth for high-end audio products, especially as consumers who have experienced high audio quality are usually more likely to upgrade to perfect their listening experience or access the latest tech features.

LOS ANGELES — Streamland Media, formerly Picture Head Holdings LLC, has entered into an agreement to acquire the Technicolor Post business.

The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is backed by Trive Capital and Five Crowns Capital and is expected to close in the first half of 2021.

Streamland Media operates through integrated business units around the globe, including industry leaders Picture Shop, Formosa Group, Ghost VFX, Picture Head, The Farm Group, and Finalé Post.

These distinct businesses support feature film, episodic, interactive and emerging forms of entertainment by providing customized products for use in picture and sound finishing, visual effects and marketing.

The Technicolor Post business will be merged into Streamland Media’s existing portfolio of businesses. There will be no interruption to Technicolor Post’s clients during this integration, and all employees dedicated to Technicolor Post will be part of this transaction.

“The strategic sale of Technicolor Post is part of our long-term vision for Technicolor Production Services to focus on VFX and animation for the entertainment industry, and creative services and technologies for the advertising industry, which provide the maximum value to our clients,” said Technicolor CEO Richard Moat. “We will continue to focus on these core areas through our award-winning creative studios The Mill, MPC, Mr. X and Mikros Animation.”

Quintech Electronics & Communications Inc., an Evertz company focused on the design and manufacture of RF matrix switches for broadcasters, satellite, and broadband networks, says the XTREME-256 matrix switch is certified for use in METs WGS Terminals.

The XTREME-256 was certified by Aberdeen Proving Grounds to operate in the AN/GSC-52B Modernization of Enterprise Terminal (MET) Ka and X band Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) stations.

The MET station with the XTREME-256 matrix was tested and certified by the U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command (ARSTRAT) as compliant with MIL-STD-188-164BCN1 standard for operation with wideband satellites for both uplinks and downlinks.

“These product lines have built-in local control that runs concurrently with the standard Web browser, SNMP, and API over TCP remote controls,” says Keith Blystone, Quintech Electronics’ Government Account Director. “The XTREME input and output gain controls made aligning the terminal for varying cable lengths much faster, resulting in quicker installation times and time to operation.”

The WorldDAB Automotive Working Group has a new chairman, Martin Koch, who succeeds Laurence Harrison.

Koch is head of development entertainment and car functions at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG.

The Automotive Working Group “brings together radio broadcasters and auto makers to collaborate on improving the DAB+ digital radio experience for drivers.”

Among its projects are to create guidelines on implementing DAB+ features; encourage enhancements to the in-car user experience for DAB+ and hybrid radio; and expand the group’s focus to cover the DAB+ user experience via voice control.

[Related: “Metadata, Keeping Radio Strong in the Car”]

In a statement released by WorldDAB, Koch was quoted: “As cars become increasingly connected, we need to ensure that drivers have access to a complete multimedia experience that combines a great user interface, rich content, and more importantly, a truly hybrid experience that offers seamless transition between broadcast, IP and on-demand.”

Harrison, director of automotive partnerships at UK Radioplayer, has chaired the WorldDAB’s automotive group since 2015. During his tenure, the AWG produced industry guidelines on the best user interface for in-car digital radios, made advances in enhanced antenna and network performance and increased broadcaster awareness of the importance of metadata for radio in the car.

[Related: “Assembly Highlights Advances in WorldDAB”]

Also announced: Gregor Pötzsch, product owner DAB at Volkswagen Car SW.Org Wolfsburg AG, will chair a sub-group of the Automotive Working Group that is focused on enhancing the in-car digital radio user experience.

The post Koch Will Head WorldDAB Auto Working Group appeared first on Radio World.

Many radio pros know the Ross Video name mostly from the large hard-to-miss NAB Show booth, often posted near the entrance of the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention center. No radio thingies to see there.

No longer! Ross Video has teamed up with audio processing technology and equipment maker Orban to launch the Radio and Streaming Audio Processor for IP and AES67 digital audio networks. It includes HD Radio applications.

[Check Out More Products at Radio World’s Products Section]

Built around Orban’s OptiCloud along with Nielsen Watermarking, Dolby AC-3 Dolby Loudness Levelling technologies, the rackmounted hardware-based processor features two-band AGC, five-band compressor/limiter, a three-band parametric EQ, phase corrector, phase enhancer, bass EQ and limiter, downward expander, stereo synthesizer, Orban OPTIMOD loudness control, loudness control and 50 custom presets along with unlimited user presets.

Orban’s Mike Pappas said, “The broadcast community, including radio, is moving steadily toward software-based solutions for the broadcast air chain. The new softGear platform from Ross, which incorporates next-generation Orban processing along with Nielsen audio watermark encoding and Dolby audio, brings powerful tools to radio broadcasters. It’s available now – we have a launch customer who has ordered hundreds of channels — and the platform is backed by Ross’ 24/7/365 worldwide support.”

There will be a webinar discussing this Jan. 26, 11 a.m. EST. Info can be found at www.rossvideo.com/live.

The post Ross Video Teams With Orban for Radio Venture appeared first on Radio World.